Introduction
A Work Environment is something that can be classified into small tasks that are grouped according to a chronological sequence called processes and people necessary for completing those tasks in order to achieve a common goal. An organization is comprised of the set of processes it needs to accomplish, the set of people or other resources available to perform those processes, and the interactions among them.The toughest challenge that is faced by an organization is when they implement a new technology into an existing process in order to ease the work done by the organization. This is when Effective Leadership (Quinn, 1992)comes into the picture.
Example for poorly implemented process in a work environment:
Considering a scenario in current Business Environment, Let us take an example of a Hospital where such a change was implemented. The Staff members are not trained in any manner for the changes that have been effected. So there was lot of confusions among the staff members in executing their duties in a responsible manner(The Free Press). And also, there was no single person who would be taken responsible when any process would go wrong.
Hospital is such an organization, where you cannot implement changes and expect the work to flow smoothly without giving proper training to the staff.When a hospital rooms are full and it takes more than 10 hours for a room to be cleaned and made ready to occupy for the next patient, the result is a havoc situation in the hospital.(P. S. , 2000)If at all the interruptions and resistanceis more than the amount of planned work to be completed in a given hour, the result isreduced progress, job dissatisfaction, and lower quality of service towards the patients. In many situations, it is very clear to all what needs to get done. However, different organizations differ in their tasks and that is what is the matter of concern.
Most hospitals have a defined workflow, but the systems and procedures differ from one hospital to another. Some are more straightforward. Some others are not. Most often, when workflow processes are seen separately, they appear logical and also efficient enough to achieve the end results. Complexities arise based on how the interactiontakes place between people under different tasks and processes. Some of the interactions do end up in conflicts, but some others hide the conflicts from the Management. Over time, it may come into notice that some processes needs to be changed and upgraded as per the needs of the hour and some others may no longer be needed. Those have to be changed and modified accordingly.
Improvement of the process (or processes):
To bring a change in the scenario of work inefficiency and irresponsible attitude of the staff members, adoption of Hospital Software may be a solution. The motive of this solution is a desire to achieve the common goals that may be difficult to be achieved without a defined structure or electronic interface. These goals aim at reducing errors in service delivery; improving clinical decision making through decision support, such as alerts and reminders; measuring the quality of service; having performance appraisals; being proactive in reaching out to patients in need for proper care; or simply to analyze information in clinical records. The Management needs to train their staff well in advance so that they have necessary basic understanding of the changes that are going to be implemented.
The Hospital Softwaresystems inculcate and show how the processes flow. Normally, a model within a Hospital Software system goes something like this:
- Order entry.
- Order Verification.
- Order Delivery
- Order Administration.
Two things that needs to be noted before deciding on the process. First is that the work process is sequential and if it is disrupted, the consequences of the same needs to be analyzed. (K, 1990)There needs to be a kind of flexibilityin the sequenceto ensure smooth operation of any organization.Second is that the workflow must represent only one of the ways in which the processes get delivered in an organization and the Hospital Software that they are implementing must reflect all of the main processesthat are followed in their organization.
Planning required to lead the process change:
Before implementing Software in a Hospital, there should be proper understanding of the processes and workflow.They also have to check on the requirements of various departments and processes. They also have to consider different inputs from all departments to understand the workflow and process sequences.
Building commitment within the organization:
Implementing a Hospital Software, will make each individual responsible for their part of work and they will be committed to complete their part of work at the earliest possible time. This will also make them efficient as they will be confined and confident about their part of work and entry in the software will hold them responsible for their part of work, which in turn will help them be efficient.(P. S. , 1996. )A Leader’s efficiency will only help all the staff members achieve their accomplishments efficiently.
Conclusion:
If employees do not understand the need for change, especially those who strongly believe the current way of doing things works welland has done for the past few years, Leaders have to make them understand the need for change and the benefits of change. When the Leader plans and communicates effectively with all his employees, explains the reasons behind the change, employees are much more likely to accept the changes positively and work together.Changes that are mandated without proper communicationare often refrained from, as the employees are sure to feel that the changes are being forced upon them by the Leaders.Telling employees that there is no update regarding the ongoing change, when there is no proper update to be given, is also a communication and will help a Leader in achieving his goals of being Efficient.
References
Quinn J. 1992. Intelligent Enterprise: A Knowledge and Service Based Paradigm for Industry.
New York, NY: The Free Press, a division of Macmillan, Inc.
Roberts K. 1990. Managing high reliability organizations. California Management Review
Spath P. 2000. Does your facility have a “patient-safe” climate? Hospital Peer Review
Strebel P. 1996. Why do employees resist change? Harvard Business Review